


Self-Immolation

by LucisCaelums



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: And It Stresses You Out, Based On Mission 4, Drowning, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Major Cockblock Griffon, Near Death Experiences, Not Beta Read, V Has No Regard For His Own Safety, We Die Like Men, Written Before Game Release So No Spoilers, just a lil bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 08:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18070220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucisCaelums/pseuds/LucisCaelums
Summary: Griffon is struggling with the weight of two people. He even voices his concerns in a strained tone. V makes a split-second decision. You can see the resolve in his eyes as he makes a choice.He lets go of your hand.





	Self-Immolation

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in years so expect messy writing and grammar mistakes up the wazoo since I couldn't be bothered re-reading this entire thing.  
> Anyway, V became my muse way back in January and I've had this monstrosity sitting in a folder gathering pixel dust since then. With the game now out, I decided "screw it,"and plopped it on here. Since it was typed up before release, there's no spoilers here. It follows the scene from Mission 4 that we saw in a couple of the trailers. Totally goes on for too long but, again, I can't be bothered to cut this monster down in size.  
> Hope you guys enjoy and any feedback is welcome!

The railway bridge under your feet begins to creak as V delivers the final blow to the grotesque hellish vines that had twisted themselves around the steel beams. You see the tattooed summoner stumble out of the corner of your eye before he stabs his silver cane into one of the wooden slats for leverage to hold himself upright. Panicked green eyes meet yours. As the bridge begins to shake and shriek, you reach out to V in an attempt to help get him to more stable ground. He mouths a quick “one, two, three!” And then he leaps.

V’s hand grips yours as you drag his wiry frame towards you. Then the two of you are running as the rails snap and bend, the cold metal collapsing into the rapid flood water below. V holds out the arm not held in your grasp and you can see the intricate ink on his skin disintegrating as he summons Griffon.

The electric blue feathered demon materializes just as the iron under you boots gives way. You feel your heart leaping into your throat as you and V begin to plummet. You think to yourself that this is the end until taloned claws grab hold of your jacket. You can’t hold back the yelp of pain as your arm strains under the weight of V clutching on to it. Despite the sharp burn blazing through your shoulder, you manage to hold his hand tighter. _I won’t let go. I refuse to let go._

But that doesn’t mean V will.

Griffon is struggling with the weight of two people. He even voices his concerns in a strained tone. V makes a split-second decision. You can see the resolve in his eyes as he makes a choice.

He lets go of your hand.

You have no time to react. A horrified cry leaves your throat as the warmth of V’s skin disappears as his hand slips free of yours and you can only watch helplessly as he falls into the violent water. Griffon begins to panic, yells of his master’s name escaping from his beak. You desperately look around in the hope that V had latched onto some debris. But you can’t see any signs life.

You glance up at the electric blue bird with teary eyes.

“Griffon! Griffon! Listen to me! You gotta put me down on the bank over there! Then we can find him!”

You point over at a collapsed road that hasn’t been fully submerged by the waves. From there you’ll have vantage point and _will_ find V.  
A traitorous voice in your head tells you that there’s no chance. How no one could survive such treacherous waters. That he’s _gone._

Griffon frantically flaps over to the ruined road and just about throws you down. You can’t blame the bird. Although he would never admit it, the loudmouth demon cares for his human familiar. Your quick to push yourself up and begin to urgently scan the fast-flowing river for the dark-haired man as Griffon takes off at incredible speed to search from the sky.

Minutes go by. There’s no sign of him and the tears you’d kept at bay start to spill over.

V was dead. And he’d sacrificed himself for you.

Your legs give out and you collapse onto the cold concrete, shattered fragments of glass cutting into your palms. You can’t bring yourself to care as a sob breaks from your throat. _This is all your fault. He’s gone because of you. He died for nothing._

A sudden call of your name brings your attention back to the present.

“Hey! Over here! I found him! I found him!”

You gasp as you look up to see Griffon flying towards you, a limp leather clad body in his talons. The bird sets his unmoving master gently on the ground and lands roughly, his beak poking the young man in the shoulder repeatedly.

“V! Wake up! C’mon, kid, this ain’t funny! Open your damn eyes!”

The first thing you notice is the blood covering the right side of his head. The bright crimson is such a stark contrast to the pallor of his skin that it causes a shiver to run down your spine. 

The second thing you notice is that his chest isn’t moving. _He’s not breathing._

Griffon is now perched on V’s abdomen, squawking about how he has to get up, he can’t give up yet, he needs to see this thing through, _he can’t leave him alone._

You shove the demon familiar aside and he quickly rounds on you, the sorrow turning into anger. Insults are thrown at you, filled with blame. You try your best to ignore him, but it _stings._

You pull V’s jacket out of the way before pressing both hands firmly above his heart. Murmuring the lyrics to _Stayin’ Alive_ , you push down to the beat of the song. You have no idea if this is the medically correct way to perform CPR but at this point, it’s all you’ve got.

After thirty seconds, there’s still no signs of life. You suck in a shaky breath and start again.

And again.

And again.

You receive nothing in return.

The tears begin to fall once more as what little hope you had drains away. Griffon is perched on some nearby rubble, staring into nothingness. With a screamed curse of anguish and frustration, you push down hard on V’s chest one last time.

He shoots up suddenly with a gasp before crumpling in on himself as he coughes and splutters. You and Griffon let out cries of relief, the latter thrashing his wings excitedly. You can even hear his voice cracking as he calls his master’s name.

You quickly flip V onto his left side and gently smack his back to help rid the water from his abused lungs. Clumps of soaking wet black hair cling to his bloodied face and you tenderly brush the strands back. Your fingers make contact with his skin and even _more_ worry seeps into your bones as you feel just how freezing cold he is.

By now, V’s breathing has begun to even out with only the odd gasp or soft splutter leaving him. You carefully manoeuvre him into a sitting position and pull him back against your chest. V’s head lolls onto your shoulder and those bright green eyes flutter open to gaze at you as his mouth opens with a slight wheeze.

“Are – Are you okay?”

His voice is raw, words roughly choked out. But what upsets and _enrages_ you the most is that V’s worried about you when he himself was an actual fucking _corpse_ no more than two minutes ago. The man clearly has no regard for his own safety, his own life, and it pains your heart so much that it pisses you the hell off.

“Am I okay?! Oh, for fuck’s sake, V! You were dead! D.E.A.D. DEAD! And you’re really out here asking me if _I’m okay?!_ Fuck, man! Jesus Christ, you scared the shit outta me! Why in God’s green fucking earth would you do that?! Why did you let go! Why…,” You pull in a shaky breath and sniffle, your voice reducing itself to little more than a whisper. “Why would you throw your life away for me?”

The anger you felt boiling in your veins drains away as fast as it had rose up and is replaced with a stomach aching guilt. A single tear escapes and runs down your cheek.

“I’m-I’m sorry, V. I’m so sorry. I just…you were _gone_ …and it was all my fault.”

You hated how vulnerable you were displaying yourself to be, how weak you sounded. You always acted strong and resilient in the face of dangerous situations and troubling times. Nero had once referred to you as ‘the embodiment of sunshine’ after you’d cheered him up and got him one of his depressive episodes over the whole arm snatching fiasco. You were the shoulder to cry on in this rag tag little group, _not_ the crier.

A pale shaking hand reaches up to stroke your cheek and wipe away the droplet running down it. Your eyes meet his striking virescent ones as he gives you a small smirk. It isn’t teasing or smug like his usual simper. No, this time there’s affection behind it. Your heart soars at the sight and an uncomfortable unknown knot forms in your gut.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. It will never be your fault.”

You gulp and cover the icy tattooed hand resting on your cheek with your own. The two of you continue to stare at one another and for the first time since meeting the mysterious man you realise just how soft his lips look.

“You two need to get a damn room! Or better yet: find some shelter to get Wordsworth here warmed-up before he catches hypothermia and dies for _real_ this time! And when I say ‘warmed up’ I don’t mean it like _that_ , okay. I’m being serious for once!”

You mentally yank yourself out of _whatever the hell_ those thoughts were and jerk your hand away from V’s as it slowly lowers from your face. The dark-haired summoner is almost glaring at his feathered familiar. Griffon’s beady little black eyes stare on back. It’s almost as if they’re having a wordless conversation. Hell, they probably are.

You give V a pat on the arm and your reminded of just how frigid he is. Griffon is right. If you don’t get the man heated up soon, he’ll not last much longer. Certainly not with night closing in anyway. You know the demons only get more ferocious during the darker hours and super-duper extra blood-thirsty hell spawn is exactly the last thing you need right now. Not to mention the racket of the collapsing bridge will attract any nearby hoards. The area will be swarmed with the monsters in no time. You need to leave.

“Never thought I’d say it but Griffon’s right. We need to find somewhere safe and warm to hunker down for the night. There no way Nico will be able to make her way over here with the van due to the flooding. So, our best bet is to find a secure apartment.”

V gives a gentle nod and you return the gesture with a small reassuring smile. You turn your attention to the smug looking demon at your side.

“Hey, bird brain! Go take a quick look around and see if there’s any not smashed up and destroyed flats nearby, yeah?”

Griffon blinks and you swear he’s scowling. _If birds can scowl…_

“Now that was just rude. What’s the magic word, _princess?_ ”

“Go to hell.”

“…You know what? Fair enough. I’ll be back in a minute. In the meantime, why don’t you make yourself useful and kiss lover boy’s boo-boos better, yeah? We both know you wanna!”

The feathered little shit swoops off before you can lob a rock at him. You can feel your cheeks burning and you look anywhere else other than down at your lap where V’s head now rests. You can feel his eyes on you, and it makes you squirm in embarrassment. Say something to change the subject. _Say something to change the subject. SAY SOMETHING TO CHANGE THE FREAKING SUBJECT._

“So…. uhhhhh…at least you got a bath?”

_Oh, you fucking moron._

What in the ever-loving _fuck_ is wrong with you?! Seriously, who says that to a person who almost drowned?! No, scratch that – _did_ drown?! Not to mention you insinuated that the deep clean was needed, that he stunk something ripe and his unfortunate dive into the deep blue was the perfect solution.

__

You're broken out of your internal crisis by a deep chuckle.

V’s _laughing._

And it leaves you speechless. Because V, the same doom and gloom V you have known for weeks now, is smiling and giggling like a school girl. And it’s goddamn _adorable._

“I’m glad to see you’ve not lost your renowned way with words…. Did I really smell that bad?”

His tone is teasing, and you know your face is on fire. You have to bite your tongue to halt the involuntary reply of assurance that he didn’t reek of garbage and demon entrails, that you think he smells amazing - especially his hair. These are all thoughts you’d rather not share with V. He certainly didn’t need to know any of this. He’d be so incredibly creeped out if he did, the poor sole.

The man himself must take your silence as conformation as he lets out a small amused huff.

“Wow. Okay then.”

You can’t help but give a very unattractive snort at that and are about to reply when you hear the tell-tale sound of flapping wings.

“Guess what, lovebirds? I found a place! It’s not too far from here, just around the corner. Empusa free, giant killer roots free and, most importantly, it’s not smashed to shit!”

You decide to ignore Griffon’s first comment and give him an actual genuine smile instead. Because you truly are grateful for his help.

“Thank you, Griffon.”

The demonic familiar preens at the praise and is quick to start blabbering on about just how _awesome_ he found is as you help V get to his feet. The young man’s legs give out immediately and it comes to your attention that he no longer has his cane.

And maybe luck _is_ on your side today as your quick to spot the silver weapon tangled in a tree root at the edge of the bank. One request to Griffon later and the cane is back in its owners shaking hands. You pull one of V’s arms over your shoulder in an attempt to make the short trek to the safe zone as easy on him as possible. The two of you slowly follow behind Griffon who scouts ahead for any danger. The sun is beginning to set now and your sure you can hear the inhuman screeches of demons close by. It sets you on edge and you tug V along just that little bit faster. You know that Nero and Nico will be getting worried that the you haven’t made it back to the rendezvous point. You hope that there’s a phone booth around so you can let the pair know that you’re both still here. That you’re both still _breathing_.

V’s gradually beginning to slump against your side and you know it’s only a matter of time before he passes out from exhaustion. You tap his cheek to keep him awake. It’s too dangerous to let him conk out with that head wound unchecked. If it turns out to be a concussion, he may never wake up again. And that is something you _refuse_ to go through again. 

“We’re almost there, V. Just a little bit longer. We’ll get you cozy and comfy and I’ll give that gash a look at. Then you can sleep. I promise.”

The summoner grunts, head slipping forwards as he struggles to help hold himself up with his cane. You continue to murmur words of encouragement as you finally reach the apartment building. Griffon starts to join in with keeping his master alert, that big mouth of his finally doing something useful instead of chewing your ear off. The three of you steadily make your way up the stairs to the third floor. You can see that some of the apartments themselves are destroyed and in ruins. No sign of demons, though. Thank God.

You reach the apartment itself just as moonlight pierces the skyline. The door is thankfully unlocked and when you haul V inside you can’t help but gasp at the interior. It looks untouched and is the prettiest thing you’ve laid your eyes on since this whole shitshow started. Designer furniture, soft carpets, marble kitchen tops, you name it – this place had it.

“Man, what I would give to own a place like this.”

V replies with a pained groan and you forcibly kickstart your brain.

“Shit! Sorry, sorry, sorry! C’mon, let’s get you in bed.”

Griffon lets out a suggestive whistle. You flip him off.

You can hear the overgrown chicken’s snickers as you make your way across the living room and into the bedroom which is just as spotless as the rest of this place. A king-sized bed sits in the back of the room. You make your way over to it just as V collapses in your arms. It takes all your strength to heave his limp body onto the mattress.

“V? V! I need you to stay with me, yeah? You’re doing so well but you gotta stay awake for now.”

Glazed over green eyes crack open and you can tell he’s on the verge of lucidity. Griffon must have taken the initiative to find a first aid kit as he drops the box into your hands before perching himself on the headboard. 

“Juliet here is right, Romeo. You’re gonna have to stay in the land of the living for now.”

You turn the lamp at the bedside table on and V lets out a whine as it shines into his eyes. By this point, the blood leaking from the wound has dried and caked itself onto his skin and hair. You pull out an antibacterial wipe and start to scrub as much of it away as you can. Once that’s dealt with, you peer closer at the cut itself. Thankfully it doesn’t look too deep. V whines as you give it a clean before wrapping a bandage around his head. It might look ridiculous and you _know_ he’ll fuss about it once he’s fully conscious again, but it’s best to be safe. Last thing any of you need right now is V catching tetanus or something. 

V’s skin is still icy cold. You gulp and look down at his sodding wet clothes. _They’ve got to come off_. You gulp.

“Hey, uhhhhh, V?”

He hums in reply.

“So, I’m going to…I have to… Oh, fuck it. V, I need to get your clothes off. They’re wet and freezing cold. So, that shit has gotta go.”  
You expect him to freak out, maybe blush and try to pull away from you in embarrassment. Instead he looks at you somewhat coherently and gives you a nod. You chew on your bottom lip as Griffon starts to snigger.

“Okay, I’ll leave you two to it. Try not to break the poor kid, alright, princess?”

Once again, the blue bastard escapes before you can throw anything at him. The door closes with a thud and now it’s just you and V. You sigh and pull yourself together. This is a life or death situation. You need to get over whatever this tiny flicker of attraction is and help V not freeze to death. You start with his _horrendous_ footwear. Who in their right mind thinks it’s a great idea to wear fuckin’ sandals in the middle of the damn apocalypse? You have no idea how V hasn’t sliced his skin open on shattered glass or stubbed his toe on debris. You decide that, well, it could be worse. You’d caught Dante lazing around once with bright orange socks on under his luminous green Crocs. The memory makes you laugh. V gives you an inquisitive look. You smile.

“Just remembering Dante’s atrocious fashion sense. Christ, the monstrosities that man thinks is good taste. ‘Smokin’, Sexy, Style’ I believe he called it when I saw him in a hot pink Hawaiian shirt with burgundy shorts and blue flip flops last summer.”

V smirks slightly.

“I can only imagine such a sight.”

Relief shoots through you as you notice he is becoming a bit more aware. _That’s a good sign._

V suddenly pushes himself upwards and you jump to shove his ass back down onto bed before he falls down again.

“Woah, woah, woah! Easy there, my dude! You’ll end up keeling over if you keep moving around like that!”

The last thing both you and V need right now is him pushing himself too far once more and putting himself out of commission. The summoner frowns slightly and his eyes lower to his bare feet.

“You won’t be able to get my jacket untied. Unless you know how to do it, it’s a near impossible task.”

You huff and relent. He’s right. Plus, you’d more than likely tangle the strings up and ruin the damn thing.  
“Okay, okay. Just don’t strain yourself …. Ca-Can you get your pants off, too?”

Again, the reaction you expect from him never occurs. Instead of scoffing or making fun of your obvious discomfort, V just gives you an understanding nod.

Sometimes it’s nice to be proven wrong.

V’s leather jacket drops to the ground and you have to force your eyes away from the sinewy muscles of his tattooed chest. You only turn around after you hear the rustle of bedsheets. V’s now completely engulfed in the soft cotton sheets and you hear him let out a pleasured sigh and your face melting into a smile. _He’s so fuckin’cute._

V lifts his head to look at you and you’re startled to see unmasked panic shining in his eyes.

“Did you…My book…did you find my book?”

_Shit._

No. No you had not found his book. In all honesty it had been the last damn thing on your mind back on that collapsed road. If this had been anyone else, you’d have told them to get over it. It’s just a book. They should be happy they didn’t _die._

But this is V.

And you know that book is something incredibly important to him. Something that is beyond replacing.

Guilt grips you.

“No. I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t see it. But I... I can go back and look for it?”

V sits up so quickly you honestly expect him to pounce on you and beat your dumb ass for leaving his book. But, once again, the man proves you wrong.

“No! It is too dangerous to go back there. You’ll only get hurt. I won’t let you get yourself into trouble on my behalf.”

You bite your lip.

“But, V… it’s your book. I know how much it means to you. I need to at least _try_ to – “

He cuts you off in a tone so final it takes you aback.

“Your life is worth more than a book. Don’t ever think of throwing it away for an _object._ ”

You stand in stunned silence. V _cares_. He cares about you. About your wellbeing. About your life. Maybe you should have realised that sooner considering the amount of times he’s came to your aid in a fight, questioning if you were injured after a close encounter, hell, especially after that stunt he pulled at the bridge. What also surprises you if just how open he is all of a sudden. Emotions and thoughts are clear to see on his face. It’s weird. But in a good way. In a way that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. _Jesus Christ, when did I become so sappy?_ You take a deep breath and walk over to the bed to perch on the side of the frame.

“Thanks, V. It’s – It’s real good to hear that.”

Green eyes stare into yours once more and your transfixed by how they glisten in the moonlight.

“You have nothing to thank me for. It’s the truth. Don’t ever believe otherwise.”

Your gazing at his lips again. You unconsciously start to lean down, V’s hooded eyes flickering across your face. He begins to lean in, too. Your noses bump together and – 

“V! Hey, V! Lookie what I gotcha!”

Griffon slams through the door with such speed you didn’t think him capable of. You throw yourself backwards so quickly you fall off the side of the bed and onto your ass. You grumble and curse the feather faced idiot. _That’s two times he’s did that today. Two!_

You look up to see the blue bird dropping a rectangular object into his master’s hands. _We’ll I’ll be... Guess that sorts that problem._ It’s V’s book. You can see the relief wash over him and whatever pissy-ness you’d felt about being _cockblocked_ yet again by a bird disappears. Well. Until you catch Griffon’s beady eyes watching you and you know you’re in for a grilling. 

“Heya, princess… Watcha doin’ down there? I didn’t interrupt anything _inappropriate_ , did I?”

You wanna kill him. You wanna kill this demonic pain in the ass. V notices your eyes narrowing and the downright _murderous_ intent dancing within them.

“Thank you, Griffon. It is much appreciated. Now though, I think it’s time we _rested._ ”

The familiar's head jerks up.

“Oh, no, no, no! Don’t you do it, V! Don’t you dare or I _swear_ me and the kitty cat will go on demon ass kicking strike and you’ll have to – “

“Good night, Griffon.”

And with that, the cause of your constant headaches is reduced to ash collecting on V’s arms to form more tattoos. You giggle.

“That solves that problem.”

V hums in amused agreement.

You hop up off the floor with a sigh.

“Anyways, you’re right; time to hit the hay. I’ll see you tomorrow at ten. No earlier either. I know you love to get up at the crack of fart, but you need to rest _properly_ for once in your damn life, capisce?”

The black-haired man gives a teasing roll of his eyes.

“Capisce.”

You smile warmly.

“Good. Sleep tight, V.”

You start to make your way over to the door when a hand wraps itself around your wrist. You give V a questioning look. He peers down at the sheets for a moment in consideration before gently tugging at your arm.

“You need to rest properly, too. And the couch is not the place for that. The bed is big enough for two.”

Heat blooms on your cheeks once more and you pray to whatever is out there that he can’t make out the scarlet shade of your cheeks in the dark.

You take a deep breath. He’s right. Again. He’s always right. Plus, the total puppy dog eyes he’s giving you makes you cave almost immediately.

You release the breath and clamber onto the empty side of the bed and shuffle under the quilt. The mattress is so soft, and you feel the need to sleep hit you like a truck. You’d been so caught up in keeping V alive that you hadn’t even thought about just how tired you were. You yawn and flip onto your side. 

V’s bare back is turned to you and you can see the black tattoos crisscrossing the surface of his skin. He slides back slightly, as if chasing your body heat. Once close enough, he rolls over to face you. The two of you are so close together and something within you screams that this is so _right._

“I owe you my life. I’ll forever be in your debt.”

You sigh softly and place a hand on top of his.

“You’ve saved my ass more times than I can count on both hands. Trust me when I say that we’re even. I’d gladly do it again, anyway. You’re not going anywhere on my watch.”

He closes his eyes and they don’t open again. You do the same and before long, you’re crashing out. The last thing your mind makes out before consciousness leaves you is the feeling of an arm wrapping around your waste and a softly spoken sentence:

“Thank you for caring.”

**Author's Note:**

> And that's that then! If you've got this far then that means you made it through this thing. Congrats and a serious thank you for persevering. I think this fic is super long, probably even too long. So, again, thanks for making it to the end!


End file.
